Cradled in the Dryads Tender Care
by LetoSai
Summary: Jared was miserable, and he was only thirteen-years-old. The constant hum of voices in his mind was starting to break his hold on reality. In an effort to escape, he finds exactly what he needs to hold himself together.


Simple addition.

I would consider this to be part 3 in my collection of one-shots.

Indirectly related to The River's Huntress and The Illusive Wind.

Enjoy.

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Thirteen-year-old Jared Morson sat on his bed with his forehead pressed against the glass of his bedroom window. The room was still strange to him and the view was new and pleasant. The day looked warm and sunny, but none of that seemed to stop the painful clenching in his stomach. A new home should have brought him peace, but there were to many thoughts on his mind already. There were a few things so far in life he was sure of.

He was the reason his parents separated, currently waiting to divorce.

He was a freak of nature.

The view was nice but a new home and a new town were the last things he wanted. There was nothing here for him.

His mother had left only weeks before. It started off with a note she left pinned to the fridge and then the moving truck arrived to 'take her things' away. Apparently she'd had enough and wanted to be away from her child's abnormality. At first it had just been the simple fact that he never smiled, but it grew into a fierce loathing.

Jared had always been strangely stoic, peaceful even. He was never hostile or aggressive; instead he would serenely stare ahead until he found what he was looking for. His father had sat him down when he was small and told him how 'it wasn't nice' to know things about people without them saying it verbally, and it 'wouldn't be nice of him' to tell stories about people. With a nod he agreed.

When he was older he heard other terms for what he was. ESP- extrasensory perception and being clairvoyant were two examples. He could look at a person and occasionally hear their thoughts as clearly as if they had spoken out loud. Other times all he needed was to see the look on their face to know all he needed to know and far more then he wanted to.

He stared out the window at the woods behind the house he had just moved into with his father and felt his lips quiver when he refused to shed the tears he wanted to. His mother wasn't coming back, and knowing full well her distaste for him, he knew it to be for the best. But that didn't take the hurt away of his mother no longer wanting him.

It was his fault his parent's marriage went belly up. It was his fault the moment his mother came home from work one day in an extraordinarily good mood.

When his mind was bombarded with her thoughts his eyes widened, stunned at what he was experiencing. He was the one to feel intruded upon and before he could straighten his face out his father had seen the look. It took hours, but his father finally coaxed him into revealing the truth. The truth of his mothers affairs and 'business meetings'.

He didn't understand in full what he was saying but his father only nodded as if he knew exactly what he had been trying to imply. He ruffled his son's hair lightly and told him to start packing. That night the yelling began and the doors slamming and money disputes. She left first and they followed soon after. The only thing that was agreed on in full was full child custody going to his father.

Already he was feeling tired and betrayed from every angle, and his father's solution was moving away to someplace new. New house, new school—where he wouldn't be able to make friends just like at the old one, new identity. His father seemed to think a fresh start was what they needed but he couldn't help the way he was and didn't really want to change. He liked himself.

When he finally got up he could hear his father on the phone. A business call, a conference call, a clientele phone call, it was all the same. His father had two different cell phones for different things—not including the house phone and it was something Jared had grown used to. The man liked to work and liked to be easily accessible. Even at late hours, even on weekends.

Jared roamed the house quietly before quickly realizing there wasn't much for him to do just yet. Most of their belongings were still packed away in boxes they hadn't gotten a chance to unpack yet, or rather, his father hadn't. Jared spent the day putting his room together after the furniture was brought in. He even went as far as to find sheets to put on his bed.

He walked into the kitchen and went out the backdoor on the porch. He liked that; the old house didn't have a porch, or much of a yard to speak of. For a moment he thought of the possibility of getting dog but couldn't bring himself to even ask after his father had gone to the trouble of moving them for no reason.

With a frown he noticed how the back yard felt better then the front. The front yard was like everywhere else. It had a hum. A hum of voices he couldn't always ignore, and even when voices didn't come to him loud and clear he could still hear that annoying hum. It was voices over lapping voices and he hated it, but the back yard was nothing like that. It was calm. Silent.

Suddenly intrigued, he walked off into the back yard and only hesitated when he came to the tree line. He didn't have woods near his old house either and had never really been in them before. Deciding it would be fine as long as he could still see the house he went in to explore. If the woods always felt as calm as they did now then he was sure it could become a good habit.

He was curious to learn if the serenity he felt was because of the woods in general or if it was just _these_ woods that calmed his nerves. He'd been staring at the trees from his bedroom window for the last few hours and if he had realized their effect he would have come out earlier. It was good to feel at ease and he found he was enjoying climbing around the trees. He'd never really considered himself to be athletic but he liked this sudden adventurous side.

He wanted to look for animals though as of yet had no luck to speak of. All he could find were a large number of bugs and birds that flitted around in the higher branches. The trees were a lot taller then he was used to seeing but it felt more like a shelter. The tops of the tree's touched and only the smallest amount of light poked through but that could have simply been because the sun was setting and the sky was getting slowly darker.

It wasn't until then he realized he'd wandered further away then he had thought that he panicked as he noticed he could no longer see his house. He was so turned around he wasn't sure which way he'd come from. All the trees looked the same to him and he only had a general idea of where to go but once it got completely dark out he would get lost all over again.

"I had to take a walk." He sighed heavily, swallowing the fear he felt steadily rising. He tried listening for sounds of cars or anything that would lead him back to his house but he couldn't hear anything. What was more disheartening was the hum he hated so much was completely gone and he couldn't even find his fathers thoughts to lead him home.

It was sickening to be so clueless.

Jared wandered around, only hoping he was going in the right direction. He was never one for the boy scouts or things of the like so he was going off only what common sense he had. Life always seemed to throw curve balls at him.

"Lost sweetling?"

He turned so quickly he fell back completely, staring up at the woman with wide eyes. He was sure the woods were completely vacant and couldn't imagine how she'd gotten so close to him. Not only was she a pretty woman, with long dark hair and eyes so green he could see them even in the dark, but she wore nothing but a short dress that barely covered her completely. She wasn't even wearing shoes.

He turned a dark shade of red instantly, and diverted his eyes. He'd seen pretty girls before but none had never made his head turn so quickly. He wanted to back away from her before he made a further fool of himself but his head snapped up abruptly when he realized he couldn't hear a sound from her.

"Sweetling?" she asked, crouching down next to him and patting his cheek. "You in there, sweetling?"

Jared swallowed hard and inched away from her.

"I've made you nervous." She smiled softly. "I'm sorry. You looked so turned about I thought you were lost."

He inhaled softly and looked at her again. "I am lost."

"Ahh, I thought so." She smiled, standing up swiftly and offering him a hand. "My name is Daru,"

He took her hand and got to his feet uneasily before taking a step back.

"What's the matter?" Daru asked, tilting her head to the side to peer at him. "You're a odd sort of boy aren't you. Quite out of the norm."

He frowned hard then, slipping back into his normal stoic expression. "I can't hear your thoughts." It was never something he had ever said so bluntly before.

She laughed softly and nodded. "I wouldn't imagine so, sweetling. It's easy for you to hear other humans but other things must be harder for you without practice."

Staring up at her, he looked confused. "What?"

"I'm a nymph, sweetling." She ruffled his hair playfully.

"What's a nymph?"

"Me." She laughed again. "A nymph is…a maiden of nature. One of the minor deities and all."

"Like a fairy?" he frowned.

She shook her head. "No, like a nymph."

He stayed silent then, not wanting to irritate the crazy woman if she could take him home.

Daru laughed softly again and spread her arms excitedly to gesture to everything behind her. "We are the Dryads, the nymphs of trees and forests."

"Of the trees." He repeated slowly.

She nodded. "That's right. There are nymphs for all forms of nature. Water, mountains, trees." She made a gesture with her hand that said she could have continued.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked softly, nerves showing.

"Well." She stared, giving him a long look. "You're not exactly a normal human are you. I think you can handle the secrete of our existence here. This is your home now as well as ours."

He swallowed down his building nerves again and tried not to shake visibly. "Can you show me how to get back to my house?"

"Sure thing." She smiled. "Shall we?"

Jared looked up at her uncertainly, not used to talking to anyone for long periods of time like this. If he couldn't hear nymphs then it might have just been better for him to move himself out into the woods. Living away from people would have been the best thing for him.

"I don't want to…" he muttered, staring off in the growing darkness of the woods. It wasn't _that_ terrifying. He could learn to deal with nature. People did it all the time, didn't they?

Daru observed him, her face falling as she watched his contorted expression. "Don't want to? Why?" she continued when he said nothing.

"It would be better." He said softly, slumping down on the ground. It would have been easier on himself and much easier on his dad. He didn't need to be that obvious burden anymore.

"Better?" she repeated, sitting next to him. He only nodded, looking like lost puppy in a new environment.

She frowned, having only minimal contact with humans before she was at a loss. This was her first with a child too but she deiced to treat him like a baby animal. He needed comfort and guidance.

"You're running away from home?"

"I didn't run away, I'm just not going back." He muttered, resting his forehead against his knee. He needed to think of what he was going to do next. He didn't have any skills of being on his own. His only skills were reading minds.

"Oh." She muttered. "Is this a human thing? Do all little boys want to run away at some point?"

He turned his head to look back at her again and shrugged. He had no idea what was normal for most kids anymore. He never had been sure.

Daru leaned forward, stroking her fingers though his hair and in motherly sort of way. "Is home so bad?"

"It's better with me not there." He muttered surely, unconsciously leaning into her arms until she was sure he was comfortable enough that she pulled him full into her embrace.

He stiffened immediately, having no idea how to react other then the fact that his face heated from embarrassment. She held him snuggly to her body as if her were a much smaller child and laid his head on her shoulder. "Tell me about your home. What is it like there?"

"Empty." He said softly, easing into her hold almost against his will. It seemed so perfectly relaxing that he couldn't help but rest against her.

"Tell me." She repeated, pulling him in a rocking motion against her.

He couldn't hear the humming anymore and the only thing his clairvoyant abilities were telling him was that he was perfectly safe with Daru. She wanted nothing from him other then to know what bothered him so. His hands started shaking more and he broke down his life for her, revealing the fears he'd had for so long to the nymph who listened patiently.

"You're not so different, sweetling." Daru said softly, stroking his hair. "There are many like you, you just have to keep your eyes open."

He looked up at her, distress in his features. "How do I find them?"

Daru smiled, kissing his cheek. "You look."

"What is this?"

Jared's eyes widened slowly when Daru's arms tightened around him and a man appeared striding towards them in nothing but a pair of dirt covered jeans. He was a tall, bulky man that had to have worked out often to gain such an appearance. His hair was dark brown, sticking in all directions and Jared knew that he was a person to avoid.

He couldn't hear the man's thoughts, just like with Daru and he couldn't do a thing but curl up against her and try to stay hidden

"Go away, Elm." Daru pouted, holding Jared tightly. "He's my human,"

Elm glared at her. "What the hell do you think you're doing showing yourself to a human in the first place."

Jared was afraid the two of them were really about to get in trouble but Daru stuck her tongue out at him childishly. "Go harass someone else."

"Ah, he's one of those humans." Elm said after a short pause. He stared down at the boy and his expression softened considerably as he moved closer. "Life a pain for you, kid?"

Jared looked up at Daru, his hands still shaking.

"It's alright, Elm won't hurt you. He is the immortal of the woods and forests. Nothing to worry about." Daru promised, squeezing him close.

"Well, not a threat to you, I suppose." Elm shrugged, crouching down to look at Jared directly. "Don't worry about the abilities, kid. You'll grow into them."

Jared looked less then sure. "You think so?"

Elm laughed softly. "I know so, kid." He placed his hand on Jared's head and the boy blacked out immediately, slumped limply against Daru.

"Going to take care of the boy, Daru?" Elm raised an eye as he pulled his hand away. He hated to see an overwhelmed child.

She smiled up at him. "Until he's well on his own, I think I will. Yes."

He shook his head, smiling faintly. "Have it your way, Daru."

It was completely dark out when Jared opened his eyes again. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized he was still snuggled against Daru and two other women were leaning against them. They were dressed similarly to Daru and he felt the heat rise in his face until he was sure to pass out from it. He didn't what to do with three grown women curled up around him.

"All right sweetling?" Daru asked with a smiled. "You've been asleep for a few hours now."

He inhaled slowly, his nerves growing again as he peered around. It wasn't just the two new women asleep next to them. It was dozens. There were woman surrounding them in every direction. Some clothed, some not, all of them beautiful.

"What's going on?" he asked hesitantly.

Daru smiled. "Well, I wanted to be sure to keep you warm."

Jared looked at her apprehensively, unconsciously fidgeting uneasily at being surrounding by so many women. This wasn't normal. He knew he was a freak but this was more then his expectations could handle.

"They're all nymphs like you?" he asked.

"That's right." Daru smiled, pointing to her two friends who were stirring next to them. "Hazel and Daphne thought you were as adorable as I did. They volunteered to help. Everyone else just kinda showed up. Family is like that I suppose."

"How—How did I fall asleep like that?" he asked shyly.

Daru smiled and stroked a hand through his hair again. "Elm thought you needed a nice nap without an interference on your mind. I bet it did you a world of good, sweetling."

"Yeah, maybe." He muttered, his eyes still feeling heavy. As good as he felt it would have been easy to lean against her against and fall back asleep. She had a loving embrace that he missed. His mother had disliked him for too long.

Hazel yawned, "He should stay with us. Would be nice to have him around."

Daphne smiled, opening her eyes a crack. "Yeah, we'll look after him."

"That's what he wanted anyway right?" Hazel asked. "He wanted to stay here and not go home, isn't that right?"

"No one to go home to, isn't that what you said?" Daphne asked.

Jared frowned slightly, unable to rid himself of his shaking. It was dark and got much colder then he had thought. The body heat from the nymphs kept him warm but that could have easily been from his own blush. Staying in the woods had been his idea to start with but he had expected that no one would understand. To hear these nymphs agree so readily startled him. That and he wasn't so sure of himself anymore.

Jared wanted to get away from the voices but now that there were really gone he just sat trying to get them back. He continued reaching for those connections but couldn't quite get to them again. He was both peaceful and anxious. He wanted to not be a bother but it had only been a few hours and he already wanted to go home. His father as just uprooted himself and changed everything to put him in a new and comforting environment and he couldn't just leave.

He couldn't be so ungrateful towards his father, but how was he supposed to get home now?

"I will still gladly show you the way home, sweetling." Daru said softly, stroking her hair through his hair again. "Perhaps it's where you really need to be."

Choking on his words he nodded.

"Let's go." Daru smiled, pulling him to his feet as she got up herself and leaned forward to dust him off affectionately.

"Bye bye, little one." Hazel smiled.

"Come see us again." Daphne sang.

Jared waved to them and followed along next to Daru a she lead him through the woods. "I can visit again? It's okay?"

Daru laughed, "Of course you can sweetling. All you need to do is call my name in these woods and I'll hear you. Just keep us a secrete, kay?"

"Okay." He agreed easily and fought a smile when she leaned down to smack her lips against his cheek playfully.

"You're lucky sweetling. The house you moved into is the only real one that borders the thick of the woods. It will be much easier for you." She smiled. "It'll help put those abilities of yours to rest."

"Really looking forward to that." Jared muttered, rubbing his cheek where she had kissed him. He tried to memorize the way there were going. Looking for landmarks of some kind but couldn't find anything distinctive. He had no idea how she knew her way around so well, but made a mental note to look up nymphs when he got the chance.

"You're sure this is the right way?" He asked hesitantly.

Daru nodded. "Positive."

After a couple more steps she stopped and hugged him tightly again before releasing him. "Keep going straight now."

He gave her a fear stricken look; eyes wide and he peered down the direction she gestured to. "You're not going any further?"

She shook her head. "Keep going on straight."

"But—"

"I'll see you soon sweetling." She smiled softly, taking another step back.

Sighing heavily he nodded. For someone who had wanted to stay by himself in the woods hours before he was sure feeling like a coward now without Daru there to hold his hand. The woods weren't scary at all with her next to him but going on alone just seemed like a bad idea. He took a few steps and turned back to Daru, only to find her missing.

Again, he was lost in the woods but at least this time he had a direction to go on. He tried to make a path of his own, only hoping to not get turned around again as he did so.

"—red!"

His head shot up instantly.

"Jared!" He heard his father's voice calling for him just up ahead. He sounded frantic and kept calling over and over again.

"Dad!" He yelled back, breaking out into a sprint. He was close, and could even see the lights from the house shining into the woods.

"Jared!"

He saw the silhouette of his father and he sighed shakily, feeling the hum of his father's thoughts again. It was a relief he couldn't describe until that moment, and what he felt stronger was his father's relief. He had been worried sick from the moment he realized his son was gone.

"Dad…" He said, finally back in their backyard. Before he could say a word his father had pulled him into his arms to hold him tightly for a moment.

"You're alright? You're okay?" His father asked worriedly, looking him over slowly. "What were you doing in this woods? Trying to scare your old man to death,"

"I'm sorry."

"You're okay?" he asked again.

Jared looked up at him for a moment before smiling faintly much to his father's surprise. He leaned back into his father's embrace and sighed. "The woods are magic, dad."

"Magic, hm?" His father said, resting a hand on his shoulder. He finally sighed, the worry draining away. "That a good thing?"

"A very good thing." Jared nodded. "I feel better."

He heard the hum of his father's voice but it was still nothing but relief for his safety.

"Let's go inside." His father said, ruffling his hair. "Almost called the police you had me in such a state."

"Sorry dad." Jared said, smiling weakly. He turned back to glance back into the woods and his smile grew a little as he spied Daru waving at him.

"You feeling alright?" his father asked, voice full on concern.

"Mhmm. Fine." Jared nodded, following his father inside.

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While i'm here, thanks to **moviebkrgurl** for adding The River's Huntress to your favorite's.

Appreciate it. ^_^

Please review.


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